BEDA #30: Things I Love Thursday - BEDA Edition

(Image found via weheartit.)



Today's post is the final day and entry for BEDA 2009! The month has flown by at an alarming speed, for which I am glad because it means it was fun, and very much worth it. Here are my BEDA highlights:

+ All of the wonderful people I've met through BEDA! Over the course of the month, some of you have been such fantastic readers and commenters, and we've had some great discussions. I've loved all of your blogs too, and it's been great to build up a wee community. So thank you Lo, Roberto, Becky, Autumn, and Christina for being awesome BEDA buddies (assigned and non)! I'll be continuing to read your posts and you all know where to find me!

+ The Motivation to Write Daily. While it may not always be worth reading, it has forced me to come up with ideas and write them down, even when I didn't feel like it. Getting words down when you don't particularly feel like it is a big part of writing, and I'm glad I've had this to force me to use my brain. Quite often, I'll think of something I'd like to write about, but brush it off with the excuse that nobody will read it. Knowing that people have read and appreciate my blog has really helped on this front.

+ The Ning. It's been a great home to us, and has made me feel a bit less "exposed". Browsing the ning makes a nice break from google reader and there are a few posts on there that I haven't cross-posted because I was happy to keep them there.

+ Enjoying Blogging Again. I had kind of given up on my blogspot and started using Tumblr more and more often - mainly for reblogging pictures and posting quotes that I like. But I missed writing and didn't really know how to jump-start this blog, so BEDA provided the perfect opportunity to do so. I'm going to decide on a regular posting schedule and try to stick to it from now on.

What have been your favourite parts about BEDA? Has it encouraged you to blog on a regular basis?

Please comment with links to your permanent blogs - I'd love to follow them!

Until... next time!
Nicola x

BEDA #29: Music & Memory

(Image via recyclart.)


Have you ever had a song that, every time you listen to it, it transports you back to a particular time and place? Since I spent last year studying abroad in California, I've aggregated quite a collection of music that does this for me. The song that embodies California for me is 54-46 / Ball & Chain by Sublime. My boyfriend tried to get me into Sublime for the longest time, but it wasn't until I lived in CA that I "got it". Now, I can't bear to listen to their music at home most of the time because it's so overcast here and it doesn't fit.

Some other songs include the first disc of In Rainbows by Radiohead - which takes me back to long Amtrak bus-rides up the 101, and Norwegian Wood played on acoustic guitar by an Aussie who lived with my Norwegian friend.

Desecration Smile by Red Hot Chili Peppers is Monterey by the sea, and the rest of the second disc takes me back to the 17 mile drive and highway 1, in an open-top Porsche with the wind, cliffs, sand and ocean breeze.

What songs take you back?

BEDA #28: Auteurs

Stuck for something to write, I decided to open Tumblr and think of a topic based on the first image that I saw. How apropos that this image appeared first. Although it would make more sense to have posted it as the header picture for this post... I really, really hate feet. However, it did give me something fantastic to discuss.

For those of you who don't have an education in film, "auteur" is the term coined by La Nouvelle Vague (or French New Wave) film movement that describes a film-maker with an oeuvre (or "body of work") in which they have the defining creative input. The Nouvelle Vague were a group of film critics who wrote for the Cahiers du Cinéma and began their own film movement. It included directors such as Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard. (YouTubers have them to thank for the invention of the jump-cut!) It's also interesting to note that they attacked the literary style of French cinema at the time - something that is prevalent in cinema today that I've recently discussed.

Lessons in film history aside, the auteur theory has always interested me, and when I first began studying film I was always keen to examine a director's body of work. A true auteur puts his or her stamp on every film they make, and every film of theirs you see will scream their name to you. Some of the best contemporary examples of this are Quentin Tarantino, Pedro Almodóvar, Michel Gondry, Wim Wenders, Allison Anders (incidentally, herself a huge fan of Wenders), and Sophia Coppola. A similar thing happens with, for example, Disney and Pixar. This is because an overall aesthetic is defined, there's that "something", that stamp, that makes it a product of that studio. It's something that I love because it shows a great dedication and artistry; real pride in one's work.

While I'm wary of getting into the realm of Pixar yet again... Well, I can't help it. I recently attended the Screen journal convention on animation, and I overheard one of the assistants speaking to the guest speaker, Vivian Sobchak, about Wall-E. He said that he didn't like it because, "it wasn't Pixar, Pixar is Toy Story, and Wall-E wasn't it". At the surface that might appear to be true, but let's delve a little deeper. John Lassater was the director on both Toy Story films, so his overall director's aesthetic certainly influenced the outcome of the films. It was the first commercial output from the company, and their first feature film, which did a lot to define the company in the eyes of the public. Wall-E was directed by Andrew Stanton, but still has that indefinable Pixar magic.

At the same time, though, despite there being two different directors (and countless different animators, storyboard artists, etc.), there are certain aspects of Wall-E that are in line with Toy Story and Pixar films in general. We're drawn in to loving this entity that toes the line between animate and inanimate. While he's mobile, he's carrying out instructions pre-programmed by humans. Although he seems to have human sensibilities, he is still mechanical. This blurred boundary between the real and the artificial is exactly the same motif that made Toy Story such a wonderful film. As humans, we have granted life upon these objects, and when we are not looking, they feel and act the way we would imagine them to feel and act. It's a strange dichotomy (if you can even call it that), and it's fascinating. To me, that is what Pixar is all about. They could take a black bin bag and give it emotions, a personality, and friends; make us believe that it's alive. And that is precisely why he was wrong.

Motifs are amazing because they contribute a lot to the way we can think about an auteur or an author. Haruki Murakami is one of my favourite authors, and after a few books you begin to realise that whenever a cat appears, something unusual is about to happen, and that his female characters are never attainable and always mysterious. Using a similar metaphor or storytelling device to symbolise different things in different stories can be central to auteurism, whether it's expressed through narrative, visual aesthetics, or aural cues.

Who are your favourite directors and authors? What is it about their style that draws you in?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #27: Life, etc.

And if you look a little closer, you'll see that if a person believes that life is terrible, they’ll constantly look for proof of this, to confirm their view of the world. They’ll find quotes and situations and events in their life and magnify them a hundred times.

If a person believes that life is wonderful, they’ll look for the corresponding signage and behave in a similar manner to the previous person with their view of the world.

Often, this is the same person on different days of the week.

(Image by mwest; Quote via I Wrote This For You.)

In life, especially in the past couple of years, I've tried to be the second person. I try not to let things get me down, refrain from ranting about insignificant things, and try to change things rather than complaining about them. You are responsible for your own happiness, and it took me quite a while to realise that.

Sometimes, though, the tough part is working out what makes you happy. I could tell you lots of little things that I enjoy (and have done, it's getting to a point where I practically think in things-I-like lists!) but I haven't worked out what I want to do in the long-run yet. Over the past couple of months I was happy to leave university without a plan, except to have fun in the US over the summer. Now, though, I've really started to enjoy academia and doing my own research and writing about my findings. So I started to think about Masters degrees. I've realised that I do need structure, and if I don't know what my next step is, I'll probably get lazy and fail to achieve much.

It made me think about people and their passions, the things they do. Everyone has their own little quirks and rituals, and I love finding those things out. I've always flitted around between different interests. When I was really young it was Roald Dahl books and Disney films. High school began with Jacqueline Wilson, girly magazines and early reality television. By the end of high school it was music, theatre, and going to the cinema two to three times per week. Now I'm crazy about regaining my love of novels, writing, and internet culture. But when it comes to a career path or even where I'd like to live, I'm still clueless.

What are your passions and interests? How do you motivate yourself to follow them up? What do you want to do with your life?!?!

Until tomorrow (with more direction)!
Nicola x

BEDA #26: Creative Content

(Image by Clark Little.)

Today's post is brought to you by all of the things that make me go, "I wish I could do that!"

- It's no secret that cute girls playing ukuleles are a MAJOR vice of mine.

- Music videos with awesome concepts and excellent direction captivate me.

- I can't help but look at weird voyeuristic content. (This doesn't apply to the "I wish I could do this!", but it interests me more than it perhaps should.)

- Someday I hope to run a blog that's as interesting, thought-provoking, and fun to read as John Green's.

- If only we could all think of 1000 Awesome Things and fuel the awesome with such stupendous commentary.

- How could I (almost) forget Paul Rudd as Planet Earth?!

- & finally, no-one I know can paint a scene quite like this girl.

What online content makes you green with envy and squeal with delight?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #25: A List Addict's List of Addictions

(Image found via f*yeahandysamberg)

A list post inspired by the Secret Society of List Addicts.

Since they class list-making as an addiction, here's a list of more of my...

Addictions!

- Andy Samberg: (Pictured above!) I love him. So much. He's my beautiful Jew-crush. A couple of days ago I found this beautiful piece of user-generated internet content and - to put it simply - my life is pretty much complete.

- E4: For non-UKers, E4 is a channel that's pretty much aimed at students and the 18-30 age group in general. On weekdays they play about 5 hours of shows in three cycles (or thereabouts), and I'm hooked on Scrubs & Gilmore Girls, as well as being partial to some Friends re-runs and the odd episode of One Tree Hill. Paired with my parents' DVR? Deeeelish.

- Pixar: Could you tell? Apparently our lovely independent (but not quite as independent as it used to be) music & DVD shop, Fopp, has lots of their DVDs for £3 a pop. I need to get over there. I'm dying to watch Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc.

- Slowly Becoming Liz Lemon: This began without intention but it's becoming more and more true. I've always done the big hoodie when I'm stressed, dealing with people who have faaar too much self-importance, being physically thin but grotesquely gluttonous, & etc. Today I realised the extent to which this is happening, when I found myself buying 6 bottles of wine for £17 and a massive back of cheese puffs, all the while wishing I had a treadmill to walk slowly on and make drunken & dramatic phone-calls. (If you don't watch 30 Rock, this all made negative sense. I apologise.)

- Buying Books: I can't help it. I really, really can't.

Havering Over What to Do With My Life: Should I stay or should I go? I have a work visa for the USA for the summer, but now I think I should do a Masters while I can get the funding and am in the way of learning and writing. I don't knooooow where to go or what to do or why. But at least that's keeping my mind occupied, right?

What are your addictions?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #24: Meeting Pixar

Yesterday I went to St. Andrews University for the Half-Cut Film Festival. They had a panel discussion and Q&A session with two Pixar animators - Dovi Anderson and Rich McKain.

Their talk was excellent. They described their typical day and showed us pictures of the AWESOME studio. It's divided into left and right brain, with the technical stuff on the right and creative stuff on the left. There are only 4 bathrooms near the middle so as everyone has to see each other every day. Which, they say, is awkward for people who've dated someone at work and then broken up with them. They detailed the animation process from conception to distribution, including how they design and animate the characters to make them look real, and told us about their upcoming film, Up and the projects to follow.

The best part was when they discussed the making of Ratatouille. Since I've been writing about anthropomorphosis, it's exactly what I was looking for. They showed the storyboards and rough layouts that are made up for story purposes but without emotion or character definition. It seemed as though they thought we'd be surprised at how sparse it all is, but having watched a lot of the extras I had seen it before. Perhaps others had too. They played some movement sequences of Remy where they had tested how his tail should move, how he would run, and things like that.

My favourite part was the sketches from what they called a "style package" - which is a document they give to the animators so as they keep the movements and stances of the characters consistent. So Remy, for example, should always have a curved back, his arms close in, and his feet should be together on the ground so as he's almost in a seated standing position. I asked how they create the mannerisms that are particular to character, and they said it was a combination of storyboarding and everyone's ideas coming together, animators putting their own flair into it, and other animators picking that up in the screenings. Each animator screens their work whenever they have a scene prepared or in progress and they watch it together to give feedback.

Apparently anyone in the company can pitch their ideas to the Brain Trust - which is a group who make decisions (executives or producers or something). You have to pitch three ideas, not just one. They find directors in the same way -- when they chose Brad Bird, Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton to direct for the first time, for example, they had to pitch three ideas at that point.

After the Q&A we went to the reception before the Half-Cut screening and awards ceremony. I spoke to Dovi Anderson there (I had planned to do a JD and sneak-hug him, but... well... he was with his wife and... well, it didn't happen) and he was wearing full Highland dress and everything. He was lovely and we chatted about Scotland (they're making a film that's set here) and the studio and I asked him for some advice and the like. He's worked on Ratatouille and Wall-E as a crowd animator, and I asked him about the Disney video that's been going around which I think I might discuss tomorrow. So look out for that!

Overall it was a great experience. I've been really lucky with my dissertation topic - I went to a Screen journal convention in Manchester that was about animation in March as well. It's good to know that it's relevant and visible right now and I might continue to do research on it in the future.

What are your thoughts on Pixar? Who's the most inspiring person you've met or heard speak?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #23: Things I Love Thursday - Friday Edition

(Image found via capel.)

I feel bad for not having posted yesterday so this is a catch-up post.

+ Getting the next 'step' of work done - I edited lots early this week and submitted the full first draft of my dissertation on Wednesday. The downside of this is that whenever I hand in my final thing I always seem to get into a lull and get really tired or sick. Ughhh whyyy?

+ The DVR - Even though the same 2 episodes of Scrubs are repeated thrice daily, skipping the ads feels so gooood.

+ Gift cards - My friend bought me a paypal gift card for my birthday last month, and I didn't know what to do with it. Turns out it acts as a visa once you register it, so I spent the whole thing on Amazon & got 5 new books! Super-saver delivery has definitely improved - they dispatched today and should be with me soon.

+ A train ride & a good book - It is a most excellent combination.

+ Awesome days out with awesome people - Yesterday I went to St. Andrews for their university's Half Cut Film Festival. I went with a course-mate who I studied abroad with and worked with last semester, and we met up with a couple of other study abroad friends and another friend from uni at home. We went to a talk and Q&A with 2 Pixar animators and a Scottish film-maker (his name continuously escapes me... Robert something?). I got to ask a couple of questions and then at the reception had a chat with one of the animators. (I will write more about this today in my post for today!) After that we went to the screening and award-giving, and all 3 of my friends I was who submitted films with won all 3 awards between them. After a looong drive I finally made it home some time after 2am.

Today's proper post will be on its way later this evening. What made your week?

Until... later!
Nicola x

BEDA #22: Books

(Image found via papertissue.)


I stole this from Book Travellers Inc. because I liked it, and it gave me something to talk about.

Bookmark or bent page ?
I used to be a big dog-earer, but I've become more anal in recent times. I usually use whatever is close for a bookmark - generally the neck of my booklight, a train ticket, a credit card, that sort of thing. My Japanese friend gave me a cute set of bookmarks last year but I then used all 3 in different books and haven't finished any of them. I guess real bookmarks and I do not agree.

Have you ever been offered a book ?
Probably, but not recently. I'm constantly offering people books, like, READ IT WILL YOU. I took a couple of my mum's Jodi Picoult books the other day because she was going to put them in the charity shop otherwise.

Do you read in your bath ?
I take a bath maybe once a year, and also no.

Have you already thought about writing a book ?
A few times, but I don't have any story ideas. If I ever do it'll be academic I imagine.

What do you think about books in several volumes ?
Not a big fan, really. I read 6 of the Harry Potter series, and by that point I'd forgotten an awful lot so I just read a summary of the last one online. I loved the Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison and read them up until the 7th or 8th volume, but I'm not even sure how many there are now. Basically, it's too much of an investment for me. Although I would like to finish the Harry Potter series sometime.

Do you have a cult book ?
Umm.. I don't know. The Hobbit?

Do you like to re-read ?
I used to re-read books constantly, because I didn't know what else to read. I have a few favourites that I'd like to re-read. My memory for storylines isn't fantastic so I can enjoy the same book over and over.

What about meeting or not with the authors of the books you've liked ?
I went to a book signing for Harry Potter 4. I was picking up my brother's order and filled out the quiz they had on, and won a ticket to go to the signing in Edinburgh. So, I ended up buying my own copy too and went and got it signed. It was a big event so it was literally just like, "hello, nice to meet you" *scribble* "thank you very much! Bye!" I'd love to meet authors who are quite visible like John Green or Stephen Fry, because I kind of feel like I know them through videos and twitter and that sort of thing. Ach I dunno.

Do you like to talk about the books you read ?
Of course! It's finding someone else who's read it that's the problem. Most of the time I just talk my boyfriend's ear off about it, and he does the same with his popular science stuff.

How do you pick your books ?
This is actually quite difficult to answer. Lately I've been scouring my sites for recommendations because I've been trying to spend my bookmooch points and most things I want aren't available. I also look at amazon rating averages of authors I've heard of, and browse Borders for stuff that I've heard about and make a list of those books to look for later. I've been reading more classics and modern classics recently as well. I've built up quite a to-read list so I'm sure it'll expand as I work through those.

Something you read, hard to confess ?
Well I was hearing a lot about Twilight this time last year, and I was just getting back into reading so I was looking for books that were short and/or easy to read, like young adult books. We missed a flight from Vancouver to San Francisco so I picked up Twilight for about $8 in the airport. I'm not ashamed, the film hype hadn't spread yet, but at least I can say I've read it! It's fun to read despite its faults.

Best places to read ?
Laying in bed, curled up on a super comfy couch, or sitting in a coffee shop where they play good music.

The ideal book would be...
Oh, I have no idea. I am awful at working out what I like. Murakami must be close, though, because I've read all but about 3 of his books.

Read over people's shoulders ?
I like looking at what people are reading and making a mental note of the title, but reading over shoulders is uncomfortable for everyone, always.

TV, computer games or book ?
Book. Unless Scrubs is on. Or Family Guy. Or Gilmore Girls. I am such an E4 addict.

Read and eat ?
Can't do it. I wish I could, but I can't. I can barely drink tea while reading.

Read with music, in silence, whatever...
I'm pretty aurally fixated, so when I try to read along to music (I just tried to put music on while typing this and I'm going to have to turn it off again!) I end up picking up on the changes and new instruments coming in and... yeah, can't do it. If I'm in a coffee shop I can usually manage to block out most of the outside noise, though.

E-books ?
Never tried, but I doubt it would work out well. I get lazy when I'm reading on-screen and skim a lot.

Borrow or buy ?
Buy! It is an illness. I can't not buy a book if I have cash and am in a bookshop. Lately I've been buying the £2 Penguin Popular Classics, but still... it's a sickness. Really. I have about 20 books that I currently own and have yet to read.

What book are you reading now – which one is coming next ?
I'm reading Stephen Fry's autobiography, Moab is My Washpot. I'm terrible at sticking with non-fiction though, so I started The Kite Runner as well.

Have you already dropped a book ?
Several. Currently still to try to read again are: 1984 (hated it), Lolita (couldn't get into it), Hard-Boiled Wonderland & the End of the World (very disappointing for Murakami), and Atonement (too sad!)

What's the first book you just fell in love with ?
Memoirs of a Geisha. It's absolutely stunning. It's a few years now since i read it but it really does read like a memoir and not a novel. You almost can't imagine it not being true. So good.


What about you? Feel free to steal this and put it in your BEDA, I want to see your responses! Or feel free to post it in the comments.


Until tomorrow!
Nicola

BEDA #21: Online Friendships

(Image found via jidnet)

Tonight, BEDA buddy Becky & I are sharing an evening tipple via the power of Twitter and TwitPic/Dailybooth. Oh, the power of the internet!

It made me think about online friendships and how they come to fruition. I used to frequent a message board for one of my favourite bands, and met most of my online friends there. I also met my boyfriend of 3 years through his real-life friend who posted on it. In all, I've met about 30 people that I met online, and all but one were from that one server. It's crazy how that tends to happen. I did a lot of growing up online and while some people find that strange, the friendships you develop are so interesting.

One, for example, I met on the same board and we met in person a couple of times. Then, when my boyfriend was visiting we met up with her for coffee. This has happened 3 or 4 times now and the most recent time we hadn't seen her for almost two years, but it wasn't awkward at all. Even although I have quite a few online friends who I don't talk to very much online, or see in person for long stretches of time, we have so much fun when we do get together. It's great.

Basically what I'm trying to get at is that I'm so glad MJ set this up, and that it's helping us nerdfighters to connect. My BEDA buddies have been naught but awesome so far and it's fantastic to get to know them.

How has your BEDA buddy experience been going so far? What do you think of online friendships and relationships?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #20: Publications

Today's topic is student publications.

The newspaper at my home university leaves much to be desired. I haven't had a great experience with them-- but I did manage to get a pretty substantial article in for my last issue ever. It's a shame that it doesn't do better, really. Being such a small university and being parched of funding has bred apathy amongst students and it hasn't improved in my four years here.

The magazine displayed in that photograph is called WORD. When I was at UCSB I co-founded this lovely wee student publication, and it's probably my favourite thing I've done at university. UC Santa Barbara is known as the party school, but there is a lot of arts and culture going on and it's a really fun thing to get involved in -- you just need to know where to find it! The magazine started as a response to another publication that was started by some stoner surfers, detailing how to play beer pong and reviewing weed and other such fare. A couple of the interdisciplinary professors involved in Isla Vista arts projects thought it absolutely went against what they were trying to achieve, so they got some students together to make a new magazine to counter the party culture.

I was involved in the first three issues (it's released quarterly), and they're currently working on the fifth issue. It's a stunning wee magazine, you can view it online here. WORD was so much fun to be involved in-- I miss it!

Are you or were you involved in any student publications? Did you like them? What kind of things did you write about?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #19: BEDA Buddies!

(Image found via holga)

Becky made a post for Christina, Autumn and I, so I decided to do the same for the three of you! (Also, it's 11.40pm and nothing else was thrilling me - I admit.) So here's a wee bit more about myself.

As you know my name is Nicola, I'm 21 and I live in Scotland. I'm in my 4th year at Stirling University - my major is film and I'm almost finished writing my dissertation on anthropomorphism in Wall-E. Home for me is Glasgow, and I can't wait to move back there officially because I find Stirling incredibly dull. Last year I did a year on exchange and attended University of California, Santa Barbara. My boyfriend also lives in California so it's my home from home (from home?). I love it there. So, so much. I'm going back this summer on a work visa and I can't wait! I've also been considering moving to Vancouver on a 1-year work visa but I'll have to be able to support myself first.

Like Becky I am mad about coffee dates. My friends are all quite spread out so it's the best way to catch up--and a good excuse to hang out in coffee shops and bookshops which, incidentally, are a couple of my favourite places. Most of the rest of my time is spent writing and/or worrying about my dissertation at the moment. I spend a lot of time online reading blogs, on YouTube and Twitter and all that sort of thing. I love a good chat about internet memes. I'm a self-confessed cinéphile but I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a film buff - mostly because I'm surrounded by them in my course. Going to the cinema is still magical to me, I love it.

That's about all I can think to say for now. Do feel free to ask questions and tell me more about yourselves if it made you think of anything. It's fun getting to know you all =)

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #18: Britain's Got Talent

Not gonna lie, I was into these talent competitions at the beginning. I watched Popstars and the first Pop Idol (funny how the first ones always stick around). but then I grew out of it all and stopped caring. This year, though, they've made a comeback in my life. My flatmates and I started watching X Factor last semester for the auditions, and then by the time the live shows rolled around we were hooked. We had people over every Saturday night and got pretty into it.

But Britain's Got Talent is in a whole new league. I've never sat down and watched it on television. The first year I heard about it a lot, and last year I was in the US but I watched all of the qualifying (read: good) acts on YouTube. This year I think I'll be watching it on TV.

It's no secret how I feel about Simon Cowell. He's notoriously hated, but I think people are, on the whole, getting over the fact that he's direct and doesn't necessarily see the need for tact. But I think he's amazing. He knows what works, what sells, and he's made this such a huge franchise because he finds talent and can pinpoint exactly what the person is best at. Yeah, he's a moody bastard at times, and he has more money than he could possibly know what to do with, but he's made that for himself. I wish I had that much business sense. The more I watch these shows the more it becomes an exercise in deconstructing the mind of Simon Cowell. It's great.

Anyway, I just finished watching Britain's Got Talent and there was a prime example of this. There was this 12 year-old boy, cute kid, came on and sang Valerie. He could certainly sing, and the audience were getting into it, but Simon held up his hand and called it off. "You've got this all wrong. What else do you sing?" So the kid tells him Who's Loving You by Michael Jackson. And the kid tears it UP. Here's a link to it on ITV.

Anyone else have a secret talent show fetish to confess? ;)

BEDA #17: Pixar

(Image via nymag.com)


Lately, I've been regressing into a childlike state. Until Oscar season hit, Wall-E was my favourite film of 2008 (I guess now it's my second favourite). I just loved it. So much so that I decided to write a dissertation on it. It's difficult to say where it all began, but I've definitely started something now.

I was always a big fan of stuffed toys. Maybe they were the best friends I had as a kid or something. My sister and I had so many that we used to play Animal Hospital with them--minus Rolf Harris. Ninety percent of our toys had the same ailment and the remedy was always a splint made from a pencil or an old lollipop stick. I was always the secretary, taking appointments and waiting for that big animal emergency - like the climactic accident that happens at the end of the penultimate episode of every episode of ER.

I was also a Disney kid. I watched Dumbo every day for a long spell (which I remember well), and cried at the end every day (which I do not recall). I then moved on to Beauty and the Beast. I had the notebook, pencil case, stationery set-- the works. After discarding my love for Disney films some time during primary school I began taking vocal lessons in high school. Part of Your World and Colours of the Wind were always the first that my voice partner chose, and she got me right back into the Disney tunes.

Later in high school I developed a love for theatre and drama was my favourite class. Singing didn't cling on so tight. Then, at uni, I moved on to film and theatre and musicals don't thrill me as much as they used to. But Disney stuck around in the oddest way-- through Pixar. (Oh, finally, she got on to talking about Pixar...)

All of the Pixar films have been my favourites since cel animation died. They hold the medium up to such an incredibly high standard that it's painful to see the crude digital rendering of Winnie the Pooh and kids shows that are computer animated just for the hell of it. It's a real art form and I hope it begins to get used in new ways - not just for children's films. It's a medium, not a genre, but so far that's what it has been treated as. I think interesting developments are on their way.

Today I listened to this great radio interview with Pete Docter and he expressed a lot of thoughts about exactly the things I've been writing about in my dissertation. Almost every Pixar animator I've seen or heard speak about their life have said, "and I didn't realise that I could make a living making animated films". Well, until today, I didn't realise that one can make a living advising the stories of animated films. I think it might be my dream job. I love stories and I love picking them apart to see how everything threads together. I love finding all the tiny subtle intricacies and signs that you don't notice the first time around - that are hidden until you go looking for them. That's the beauty of Wall-E. Amidst the silence there are literally millions of visual, aural and narrative clues to get you through. Combined with the animation itself, it's utterly breathtaking. I simply love it.

Next week I'm going to Half Cut Film Festival at St Andrews University, and they have two animators from Pixar as their judges panel. They're doing a panel talk and Q&A and I absolutely can't wait. A friend who's organising it said he might be able to introduce me to them-- not sure that it will pan out but... fingers crossed!

What were your favourite films as a kid? What's your favourite Disney tune?

BEDA #16: Uplifting Passages

The bus trip from Denver to Frisco was uneventful except that my whole soul leaped to it the nearer we got to Frisco. Cheyenne again, in the after noon this time, and then west over the range; crossing the Divide at midnight at Creston, arriving at Salt Lake City at dawn - a city of sprinklers, the least likely place for Dean to have been born; then out to Nevada in the hot sun, Reno by nightfall, its twinkling Chinese streets; then up the Sierra Nevada, pines, stars, mountain lodges signifying Frisco romances - a little girl in the back seat, crying to her mother, 'Mama, when do we get home to Truckee?' And Truckee itself, homey truckee, and then down the hill to the flats of Sacramento. I suddenly realized I was in California. Warm, palmy air - air you can kiss - and palms. Along the storied Sacramento river on a superhighway; into the hills again; up, down; and suddenly the vast expanse of bay (it was just before dawn) with the sleepy lights of Frisco, festooned across. Over the Oakland Bay Bridge I slept soundly for the first time since Denver; so that I was rudely jolted in the bus station at Market and Fourth into the memory of the fact that I was three thousand two hundred miles from my aunt's house in Paterson, New Jersey. I wandered out like a haggard ghost, and there she was, Frisco - long, bleak streets with trolley wires all shrouded in fog and whiteness. I stumbled around a few blocks. Weird bums (Mission and Third) asked me for dimes in the dawn. I heard music somewhere. ' Boy, am I going to dig this later! But now I've got to find Remi Boncoeur.'


Sometimes you read a passage and you just stop and think, wow. This passage from chapter 11 of On The Road by Jack Kerouac did that for me. I loved On The Road, and I adore California, so this description is absolutely magical to me. It captures the essence of all that is magical about arriving in a new city. The realisation that you've made it after such a long journey, seeing the landmarks that you've seen on television and in films so many times up close for the first time. Or even returning 'home' after a long absence and feeling that old, familiar feeling of nervous excitement that is characterized only by that place. The anticipation, waiting on the edge of your seat to disembark and every moment lasting an hour. Then finally stepping out, savouring the air at the other end and feeling elated to be back.

That is why I love California so much and that is where I will pick up tomorrow.

Have you ever read a passage and stopped to read it over a few times? Please do share!

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

http://robotnic.blogspot.com

BEDA #11: A Blog About Blogging

Daily blogging hasn't been particularly successful for me, but that has yet to deter me. I suppose the problem is that I'm of the mind that, if you don't have anything to say, say nothing at all. It may sound old-fashioned, but there is no use in writing for the sake of writing if you know that it won't be worth reading. So, even though I missed my third day (out of ten - not great going!) - I'm not disheartened, because at least I wrote something worth reading for my dissertation instead. This project is what you make of it, and as long as it encourages me to write daily, I'm happy.

While we're on the subject, however, last night I was thinking about blogging and my aversion to personal blogging. It's not that I dislike it, I still read personal blogs. I just can't understand why anyone would read what I have to say about my day. So, in this project I've been trying to write about things that interest me and that people can discuss. However, I was reading John's Q&A BEDA blog the other day and he said that when you blog, you should stick to what you like to read/see, but at the same time you should also give your readers (or viewers) what they want. My audience has never been large enough to warrant worrying about that, but now I wonder if more people would read my blog if I knew what it is that they look for.

Personally, I tend to read blogs about a wide range of subjects, and there are few blogs where I'll read every single post. Nobody can get it right all the time, but I do wonder what most people like to read.

A wee sampling of my favourite blogs:
+ Gala Darling, for advice and fun pictures and her "style tips".
+ Book Travelers, because I love the concept, but I haven't read enough yet to know the people well.
+ Notebook Doodles, for the cutest doodles and her brief updates.
+ The Secret Society of List Addicts, because collaborative blogs are excellent, & if you don't like one post you're bound to like the next.

What are your favourite blogs? What do you like about them? What kind of posts do you most enjoy reading?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

As always, x-posted to the home of BEDA, the Maureen Johnson Ning.

BEDA #9: Things I Love Thursday

BEDA & Good Discussions - Despite having missed a couple of days, I'm enjoying BEDA. It's giving me a reason to think of things to write and to get on with it, even though I'd rather use my dissertation as an excuse not to write anything fun or non-academic. After yesterday's post about novel to film adaptations, Roberto has made a post on a similar topic and his experiences. I love it. It's so interesting to read what everyone else has going on and to get into a good discussion about books and the like.

Hanging Out With My Favourite People - My boyfriend is here, which is always grand, and we've been sending a fair amount of time with my family and friends. It's so great to have everyone you love hanging out together and chewing the fat. Love love love it.

Less-Healthy Discussions - Not gonna lie, sometimes it's fun to sit in the pub and have a chat, reminisce on old times, recall our relative fortunateness compared with other students at our school... and so on.

Finding Awesome Hang-Out Spots
&
Catching Up With Old Friends - A double-whammy! Yesterday I went out to the West-End of Glasgow to meet up with an old friend who I haven't seen in almost 2 years. We met online and have probably never met up more than once in any given period of 6 months, so there's plenty of catching up and none of the awkwardness. We went to a place called the Biblocafe - which is a second-hand bookshop and coffee-shop combined. EPIC. It was so cute and comfortable and I loved it so much. It's just a shame it's so far away from my house.

Honourable Mentions - Daily double Scrubs, Gilmore Girls & a bajillion episodes of 30 Rock on the DVR; tea & honey (didn't even know I liked honey!); coffee shops; never quite getting around to what we had planned; and Easter coming up = chocolate!

What's making your week?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #8: Novel to Film Adaptations

Image found via merricat.

It seems we have a knack for finding a film in just about anything. Novels are infamous for it, especially recently as bestselling books are almost sure-fire hits with the public when they are later released as films.

Adapting novels into feature-length films has always been a tricky business. Which plotlines take precedence? How is it going to be shot? Who's going to play this beloved character, and whose interpretation is it? So many hands and minds go into filmmaking that it's easy for the whole thing to go off-track. (Just look at the Harry Potter franchise -- by film four it was already onto its third director!) So how can novels be adapted to film without offending anybody?

US Author John Green (of vlogbrothers YouTube fame) recently released a book called Paper Towns - which was quickly picked up by Mandate Pictures - the studio that brought us Juno. The author himself was assigned the task of adapting his novel into a screenplay; however his thoughts on book-to-film adaptations differ slightly from the norm.

Green has been keeping his fans up-to-date via YouTube, Twitter, and his blog, on the progress of his screenplay, all the while apologising for his lack of adherence to the original book. Clearly, the thoughts of his fans are on his mind, yet he is sticking to his guns.

"You guys are gonna hate me if they ever make this. But at least you'll hate me instead of some vague corporate master."

"Obviously this is just a draft, but there are only about six lines of dialogue from the book in this script. SORRY!!!!!!"

While it may seem unorthodox, I stand by Green in his decision to take the screenplay into his own hands and write it the way that he wants it to be seen. Currently, books line the shelves and specials tables at Borders and Waterstones bearing photographic covers from their new movie counterparts. For film- and book-lovers alike, this can be disheartening. How many times can we consume the same stories on different media? How many more times can we hear, "Oh, it was okay, but the book was MUCH better"? When will we cease to avoid seeing films, in fear that it won't live up to our expectations?


Surely John Green is onto something here. Why recycle the same, well-known plots when it is perfectly possible to take the story somewhere new? The important thing is to maintain the integrity of the ideas expressed within the book, rather than holding true to the events within it. Although technically this may invite poaching, let’s assume that the necessary protection of intellectual properties is in place. Our perceptions of films based on novels become an interpretation of an interpretation while the medium of film could have the same resonance as reading a book for oneself and taking our own interpretations from the original text.

What do you think?

BEDA #6: 50 Book Challenge

(Image found here.)

I've noticed one or two posts about this already so I expect recommendations! Oddly, I began my 50 books challenge last May sometime, but concentrating on this year is simpler. So far I've read...

1. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist - David Levithan & Rachel Cohn
2. Bird by Bird - Anne Lamott
3. Animal Farm - George Orwell
4. Shakespeare - Bill Bryson
5. * The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz
6. Franny & Zooey - J.D. Salinger
7. Neither Here Nor There - Bill Bryson
8. * Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
9. Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
10. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
11. Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie
12. * The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
13. Violet & Claire - Francesca Lia Block

The starred ones are my favourites of the year, I recommend them all. This year I've been trying to move out of my comfort zone a bit and read more classics - or, rather, what Penguin tells me are classic. My to-read list has increased at a frankly frightening rate. I think if I didn't finish up at university in May I'd never find the time.

My current read is Stephen Fry's autobiography - Moab is My Washpot. It's so interesting and entertaining, I doubt I'll ever look back on my school days so fondly, although it has made me think about them a little differently. Some people you meet in life are so fascinating and you don't realise it until years later.

One of the most inspiring 50 book challenges I've come across is 52 Books on Tumblr.

If you're doing a reading challenge this year and have blogged about it please link me!

Until tomorrow,
Nicola x

BEDA #5: List Addicts Anonymous

Image found here.


One of my favourite blogs is the Secret Society of List Addicts. Now that I've credited them, it's time to duly rip them off. Just kidding. But really.

All Those Things I Said I'd Do But Haven't... Yet.

+ Read Nineteen Eighty-Four. Okay, seriously now. At one time, back in high school, I was actually jealous that another class were privileged enough to be assigned anything other than The Cone Gatherers (seriously, look it up!). So much so, that I set out to read it. I made it about two-thirds of the way through & gave up, swearing I'd never touch it again. Unfortunately, when I arrived at the first lecture of my second English class at university, you can imagine what they had assigned.I got to about the same point and gave up all over again. I passed my copy onto my unwitting boyfriend on a long train trip... and he loved it. Fortunately, he lent it on to someone else & never saw it again. But now my brother has lent me his copy, & insists I read it before Brave New World. I'll get around to it...

+ Learning to drive. Is it really a necessary skill? I can understand the freedom and all but... so far it has only brought me hassle. I chose not to learn for financial reasons - I can get by taking the train, thank you very much. In order to have a spare ID, however, I got a provisional license (a permit, basically), to save me from having to carry my passport around. But now they don't even accept that as an official form of identification. WHAT?! It went through the same system as my passport. So now, rather than being unable to drive causing issues for transportation, it's causing lack of intoxication. Can't drive? Can't drink. I'll get around to it...

+ Taking up yoga/pilates/hooping/walking... The list goes on. To be honest, I'm happy enough sitting around & eating easter eggs.

+ Catch up on my blog/YT subscriptions. Well, this one is doable. It's a question of whether or not I fancy getting enough sleep. Ahhh I'll get around to it.


A Token Thing I Have Finally Done

Just for fun. . .

+ Do something about my tendinitis/carpal tunnel. So these silly excercises? Turns out their not so daft after all. They do help. Highly recommended.

Maybe now I'll get around to doing one of those other things. In the meantime, show me your lists?

Until tomorrow!
Nicola x

BEDA #4: A Personal Touch

(Image found here.)


Hello BEDA dears,

Although I'd been planning not to put much personal stuff in my BEDA blogs, I realised I don't have much time for it this week, and since my wrists have been bothering me I'm trying to stay off the computer. My day was filled with watching 30 Rock and reading Francesca Lia Block's book Violet & Claire in one sitting. As I was contemplating the novel and its elements of film and writing, I happened upon this quote:

"Whether they think about it or not, novelists are preserving a tradition of precise, expressive language; a habit of looking past surfaces into interiors; maybe an understanding of private experience and public context as distinct but interpenetrating; maybe mystery, maybe manners. Above all, they are preserving a community of readers and writers, and the way in which members of this community recognise each other is that nothing in this world seems simple to them."

- Jonathan Franzen

So I'll leave this one open for discussion. What is your passion, and what does it mean to you?

(Visit MJ's ning & read other BEDAs here.)

Things I Love Thursday!

(Image via Tumblr)

... BEDA Day 2 Edition! For those of you who are unfamiliar, Things I Love Thursday was invented by the wonderous Gala Darling as an exercise in frequent life appreciation. I suggest you check her out and jump on the proverbial bandwagon!

+ Full days: The past few days have been spent catching up with friends (1 on Monday, 1 on Tuesday, 2 today and a bunch tonight!) and writing my dissertation. I've become such a blether and talk myself out on a regular basis. It's tiring, but it's so much fun.

+ Moving around: I spent a couple of days last week having a right good time in Manchester, then came home for a night before departing for university again. I'm now back home and ready for another exciting week.

+ Expected visitors: My boy is currently on an aeroplane, shooting through the sky at top speeds to come visit me. Pretty cool, huh? He'll be here for 10 days. It's been 2 months so I'm extremely excited to see him!

+ Easter: I'm not religious, I don't like hot cross buns and I'm not much of a bunny-lover. Which can only mean one thing... CHOCOLATE! Need I say more?

Honourable mentions: The insults in Gran Torino; watching the Sex Education Show with my flatmates and making obscene comments; awaiting goodies hand-delivered from overseas; successful meetings with advisors; 2 dinners in one night, twice in a week!; endless discussions about internet memes; every other artwork on my iPod being mysteriously replaced with Stephen Fry; Twitter banter, & BEDA!

What's lighting up your week?

Blog Every Day April

Hello strangers & nerdfighters!

I've been looking for an acceptable way to shake off this hiatus and come back with some real content, & thankfully Maureen Johnson has proffered the perfect way of doing so! It's Blog (or Vlog!) Every Day April; which is pretty self-explanatory, really.

If you're interesting in taking part or are taking part & haven't heard yet, you can find out the basics on the BEDA '09 Twitter

Rather than diving right in I figured that now is a good time to say a bit more about myself. I've always found internet small-talk a tad awkward, but perhaps it'll give an idea of what to expect on here.

My name is Nicola, I'm 21, and I'm a final-year student. Currently working on my film dissertation which is on anthropomorphism in animation - with a special interest in Wall-E. Currently living in Scotland and move between Glasgow and my university town a lot. California is my home from home (from home?) where I studied abroad last year (UCSB) and will be returning this summer! I'm a bit of a bibliophile & am always looking for book recommendations so feel free to offer some suggestions. I spend a lot of time online, picking through posts on Tumblr & Twitter (I'm robotnic on both, feel free to add me!), & catching up on my Google Reader Subscriptions. I love coffee dates, catching up with friends who I don't see often & travelling.

Well, it will be lovely to start meeting you all & I look forward to everyone's posts.

'Til tomorrow!
Nicola